Patrick donnelly



(No Model.)

PpDONNELLY.

VIOLIN No. 508,508. Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

fit/610501:

m2 NATIONAL umosmpnm COMPANY,

wAsnmeToN. 04 o UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK DONNELLY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VIOLIIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,508, dated November14, 1893.

Application filed August 25, 1893. Serial No. 484,022. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that LPATRIOK DONNELLY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of New York, in the State of New York,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Violins, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention applies to all instruments of the violin class, in whichthere is a hollow body, a bridge over which four or other number ofstrings are stretched and a post in the hollow body. I employ, as usual,well seasoned wood for the main body of the instrument, including thebridge and post. I have discovered that the sounds can be strengthenedand improved in quality by small quan-e tities of copper interposedbetween the strings the adjacent portion of a violin.

and instrument so as to aid in transmitting the vibrations. I havereduced this to practice and produced thereby an important improvement.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification andrepresent what' I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the bridge and Fig. 2 is a cross-section onthe line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a corresponding View of the bridge on alarger scale, partly in section. Fig. 4: is a section transverse to thebridge, showing the bridge and the post and the adjacent parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures where they appear.

A is the face and B is the back of a violin, made of sound, resonantwood. 0 is a post of the same or a different wood, standing in theordinary manner under the bridge and transmitting the mechanical strainand the sound waves in all respects in the ordinary manner, except aswill presently appear.

D is a bridge of thin wood, resting onthe face A, and having its upperedge curved to the proper extent so that when the strings are stretchedacross several shall lie in the right positions to allow the requiredaction of the bow upon the strings, separately and together. Near themiddle is a hole 6. The upper edge is grooved slightly.

E is a copper wire, about No. 16, Brown- Sharpe gage, extending alongthe groove and protruding above the upper edge of the bridge so that thestrings are-carried on this Wire and the vibrations transmitted throughthis metallic medium. Its outer face is notched slightly toreceive thestrings M, which latter are applied and tuned in the same manner as thecorresponding strings of ordinary violins. The parts E of the wire Eextend down a little distance in corresponding grooves and terminate inends B driven into corresponding holes in the ends of the bridge.

G is a copper wire, about No. 24, extending axially through the post 0from end to end. H is a slender Wire, about No. 60, threaded through atransverse hole in the post and also wound around the post. It extendsupward through a small hole in the face A and through a correspondinghole in the bridge, traversing across the hole e, as shown. It is passedover the wire E and descends again to the hole 6, from which latter itextends laterally, and is wound around an adjusting pin I which has asuitable head I for allowing it to be turned.

to adjust the tension. Turning the pin 1, I, in one direction tightensthe wire H, and turning it in the other direction relaxes it.

The instrument possesses all the useful qualities of the well known andlong approved violin. The strain on the several strings M is received onthe bridge and transmitted to the face A, post 0 and back B in anobvious manner. The sound vibrations are correspondingly communicated,but the effect of the instrument is better than the instrument withoutmyimprovementin bothloudnessand sweetness of tone. I ascribe the effectin part to the wire E interposed between the strings M and the bridge D,and in part to the metallic core G of the post, which makes a metallicconductor between the front and back of the violin, and in part to thethin wire H and its tightening means I, I which contribute materially tothe mechanical force pressing the bridge and the body of the violinstill more. firmly together.

I claim as my invention 1. In a stringed instrument of the violin classhaving the bridge D and post 0, the metal wire G, in the interior of thepost and a flexible wire H secured to the latter and exas the pin I foradjusting the tension of the latter, all arranged to serve substantiallyas herein specified.

In testimony that I claim the invention 1 above set forth I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

PATRICK DON NELLY.

Witnesses:

M. F. BOYLE, H. A. J OHNSTONE;

